Costus is a genus of perennial tropical herbaceous plants from the costaceae family, is also known as Spiral Ginger (English) and Pacing (Cigudeg, West Java, Indonesia). The most common varieties are found growing naturally in the tropical countries all over the world. Clumps spread easily and produce plants that normally grow from 1 to 3 meters tall. Costus differs from the common ginger by having only one row of spirally arranged leaves.

Spiral Ginger leaves

Costus Pictus

Most of the species of These plants have large glossy looking leaves, smooth, dark green leaves are spirally arranged around the stem, forming attractive, arching clumps arising from underground rootstocks. The flowers are Various in colors and are beautiful, they appear to be cone-like heads at the tips of branches and many species bare the flowers in separate stem that emerge from the clumps.

Costus Dubius

Costus Pulverilentus

Some of the Costus family are native to Southeast Asia, especially on the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia, namely Java, Sumatera, Kalimantan,Sulawesi and West Papua. They are also used as traditional medicine for curing asthma, cough, severe intestinal diseases such as dysentery and cholera. It is also used as a tonic and to stimulate digestion and it is reported to have been used for diabetes too.

Costus Barbatus

Costus Pictus

Costus plants are also cultivated in Indonesia and elsewhere as an ornamental.